Times Have Changed

"Uncle Hai, how much did you win?" Wu Yaozu's eyes shone brightly as he sidled over from the side. "Tonight, Tianque is on me!" Meng Xinghai waved his hand vigorously, his eyes and brows glowing with excitement. "Uncle Meng is magnificent!" Xiang Yiwu also stepped forward, giving a thumbs-up as thick as a carrot. "Xinghai, you've grown impetuous. Ling Canghai was just speaking about people like you," an old man of the esoteric sect, carrying an imposing aura, spoke sternly. "Martial Uncle," Meng Xinghai greeted him. Then he whispered into the elder's ear, "Martial Uncle, how was it? It felt pretty satisfying teaming up on this wager with me, didn't it?" "What nonsense are you spouting in front of the children!" The elder, whose hair and beard were completely white, glared at him before departing with his hands clasped behind his back. "All right, we'll talk over there tonight, Martial Uncle," Meng Xinghai called out, pointing toward the jade pavilions in the distance. Beside them, Wu Yaozu and Xiang Yiwu were both somewhat dazed. Was a highly respected martial uncle really this busy? In the shallow night, he exhausted mind and spirit over the esoteric sect's affairs, only to plunge into the decadent Tianque in the deep night. Meng Xinghai remarked, "What are you staring at? Everyone has their own kind of exhaustion." Wu Yaozu piped up immediately, "Uncle Hai, we're not afraid of suffering for this kind of exhaustion—we're willing to share the burden!" "Uncle Meng, will you... still take us along tonight?" Xiang Yiwu asked, having never visited Tianque before. Qin Ming was lost in thought. Had he known the true effect of an immortal contract beforehand, he likely would have fought Liguang to the bitter end—the "sun elf" girl might very well have been turned into "Eight Suns Azure Fire." Meng Xinghai said, "The immortal contract has been lost to time for ages. Some old fellows in the outer realms studied it for years without managing to tinker it out." Instantly, Qin Ming sensed sheer malice. Evidently, certain old monsters on the immortal path wished to revive the glorious age when immortals ruled the world of night mist. Deep within the night mist, in the immortal tombs and divine graves unearthed by the sun elven race, even immortal contracts still existed. Leaving aside the depth of their legacy, their system was undeniably comprehensive. Consequently, the immortal path harbored immense anticipation for that mist-shrouded domain. Once Xiang Yiwu learned the truth behind it, his face darkened as well. Walking the Newborn path himself, he was naturally disgusted and repulsed by immortal contracts to the extreme. "Fortunately, Brother Ming is tough enough. This wave was pure profit without any loss—he even bagged an elven royal!" Wu Yaozu said. He added, "Just cutting her hair to sell would make a booming business. A few nobles actually approached me in secret, asking to buy some." Soon, he felt something and noticed that many people were looking in their direction. In truth, though the match was over, many people had yet to depart. Numerous eyes remained fixed on Qin Ming. From youthful disciples of the immortal path to young nobles of Great Yu, all the way to senior figures of renown, everyone was paying attention. Even those immortal seeds of higher tiers were gazing over. Though possessing supreme confidence and extraordinary grace, they were now pondering how they would have fared had they stepped into the arena in his place. Pei Shuyan's brows knitted slightly as he recalled his own state in the second realm. Cui Chonghe was deducing the battle, having become uncharacteristically solemn. Jiang Ran, her green robes drifting, also fell into uncharacteristic, quiet contemplation, comparing her own past self in the second realm against Qin Ming to determine who was stronger. As the foremost figure of her generation in the Fangwai Immortal Land, she naturally possessed ample confidence and poise. Beside her, Luo Yao, clad in white, murmured, "Sister, this guy is really strong. To think he surpassed me so quickly. My eyes truly failed me back in that remote village." Then, she saw Jiang Ran look up, electricity seeming to crackle across her gaze as she locked eyes with Tang Jin, the woman in black across the way. Jiang Ran smiled and sent a voice transmission: "Old woman, I heard you traveled all over to select a disciple for your master and even passed through Black-White Mountain. Your eyes are truly terrible!" Tang Jin immediately bristled. Having a purple-eyed crow pestering her every day was bad enough, and now Jiang Ran, who was slightly younger than her, was rubbing salt in the wound as well. Qin Ming looked up and was met with all manner of gazes. Instantly, many people smiled at him, some nodded, and quite a few waved in greeting. Clearly, after this single battle, the reputation of this ringer—who wore his bronze mask with utter perfunctoriness—had skyrocketed. Even several senior figures on the immortal path no longer treated him with cold indifference; some gave him slight nods. Certain nobles were even more enthusiastic, sending envoys with messages to invite him to banquets and forge ties. This was an acknowledgment of his strength. Setting aside the future, his performance in the second realm today was remarkably extraordinary, stunning everyone before the South Heavenly Gate. Qin Ming responded with smiles to each of them. Now was not the time to accept private banquet invitations. He noticed Li Qingyue, graceful and standing tall in white robes, looking toward him with a smile as well. Xiao Wu transmitted his voice secretly: "Brother Ming, I noticed! Sister-in-law just cast a meaningful glance toward the direction where the sun elven race left." "Don't talk nonsense," Qin Ming hurriedly corrected him. Under the night mist, cities everywhere were brightly lit, awaiting the latest news: what was the final outcome of the contest held upon the moon above Great Yu's imperial capital? In major gambling dens, many patrons were on pins and needles. "Does it even need to be said? The immortal path must've been swept clean again. They have no advantage in the first two realms—hard to change the status quo." "It's in the bag! Hearing you gamblers doom-mongering like this, I know my win is guaranteed. Think about it—which of these super betting pools hasn't reaped you clean?" Everywhere from teahouses to taverns, discussions were everywhere. Anything tied to pioneering wilderness, big or small, captured everyone's attention. Soon, strange beasts flew out from the bright moon in the night mist above Great Yu's imperial capital. When the news broke, people in some casinos laughed wildly, some wailed in despair, some began babbling nonsense, and others fainted dead away. The spectacle of humanity's reactions was absurd to the extreme. Ordinary folk, on the other hand, merely buzzed with passionate discussion. "It was actually a sweeping victory! This time, they completely blanked the sun elven race!" "I heard someone from the Newborn path stepped in to save the day?" ... That evening, Meng Xinghai led Qin Ming, Xiang Yiwu, and the others into that magnificent complex constructed of jade and glistening with golden tiles—Tianque. The place was luxurious beyond measure, making visitors feel as though they had truly arrived at a celestial palace in the heavens. Exotic flowers and rare grasses vied for beauty before jade steps; spiritual butterflies danced; maidservants were dressed like heavenly palace maidens; while in midair, immortal cranes spread their wings and five-colored peacocks glided past. They entered an enormous, resplendent palace. Coiling true dragons were carved into massive pillars, and immortal mist drifted across the floor. The hall was exceedingly spacious, furnished with only a few jade tables and seats. "A bit sparse," Wu Yaozu commented. Meng Xinghai clapped his hands. Immediately, a group of women entered, each possessing exquisite beauty and carrying themselves like fairies of the heavenly court as they served rare delicacies and fine wine. "Uncle Meng is a regular here!" Xiang Yiwu remarked. Soon, Qin Ming and the others discovered that this wine was far too potent. Upon drinking it, their whole bodies felt as though they were on fire—something was plainly amiss! In the blink of an eye, they were drenched in sweat. "Uncle Meng, is this really necessary? Serving us medicinal liquor right off the bat? By the way, when does the dance of the immortals begin?" Wu Yaozu asked. "This wine is very expensive; not a single drop can be wasted," Meng Xinghai said. He clapped his hands again, and a group of veiled women with lithe, graceful figures entered. As they danced, they seemed to warp the void itself, stirring up tremors in the spiritual energy. Xiang Yiwu gasped in admiration. "Could this be the legendary Heavenly Demon Dance? Being a maidservant in Tianque is really no easy feat—their cultivation is remarkably high." "You may begin," Meng Xinghai said. "What's going on?" Qin Ming felt that something was off. Meng Xinghai said, "Cultivation practice, of course! This medicinal wine can purge all hidden injuries from your bodies, reinforcing your foundation and replenishing your vital energy. Hurry up and circulate your mental cultivation arts!" Then, the group of veiled women stepped forward, slapping and striking them with their palms. Before long, all three groaned under the impacts. They were utterly dumbfounded. Entering Tianque, they were actually forced to train! "Wait, Uncle Hai, what is..." Xiao Wu asked blankly. Meng Xinghai said, "What did you think this place was? With the bright moon hanging high, a sacred land—Tianque is the finest cultivation ground. I spent a fortune arranging this for you! These women assisting you all have prominent backgrounds." Moments later, the three were on the verge of howling like ghosts and wailing like wolves. They were all taking heavy blows. There were true masters among these veiled women, and their strikes fell heavy and hard. Furthermore, the boys weren't allowed to fight back; the women claimed they were stimulating their blood circulation to help the medicinal wine take effect. "Take your time training; I'm off to see my martial uncle." Meng Xinghai walked off with a wine cup in hand. "Young lady, please be gentler! Why are people with such high martial arts serving as maidservants here?" One of the women laughed. "I'm old—over a hundred years old already. With no hope left on my path ahead, Tianque serves as our sect's Dao sanctum. Besides, Grandmasters visit here from time to time; receiving their guidance brings boundless benefit." The three were instantly stunned. Tianque was a Daoist lineage! At the same time, they felt completely uncomfortable. These women were all over a hundred years old? Old Meng was truly ruthless! Still, they understood why Old Meng said it had cost a sky-high price. These women usually attended to Grandmasters, yet right now, they were helping these youngsters train. "Auntie, don't hit so hard!" Xiang Yiwu's face turned green when he saw a woman pick up an iron rod and walk toward him. "Your physique is peculiar, and your frame is excessively massive. Mere slapping can hardly stimulate your blood..." *Bang!* "Ow!" ... An hour later, the three were drenched in sweat from head to toe. They had agreed to come to Tianque to broaden their horizons, yet they felt as though they had just been given a sound beating. After a medicinal bath, the three promptly got up and left, unable to endure the service any longer. Supposedly, a hundred-and-sixty-year-old granny was scheduled to attend to them in person next, using finger arts to clear and connect the meridians throughout their flesh and blood. As they left, they passed by a resplendent palace. Clearly audible from within were the melodious tunes of pipes and strings, the tinkling notes of a zither, the clinking of Meng Xinghai's cup against others, and the hearty laughter of that martial uncle. Xiang Yiwu and Wu Yaozu suspected there were two Tianques on this moon, and the three of them had walked into the wrong one. "All right, we've seen it now. Tianque is nothing special!" Qin Ming said, taking the lead to walk away. "Brother, we entered a fake Tianque!" Xiao Wu was indignant, fuming with resentment. Xiang Yiwu grimaced in pain. A century-old fairy granny had swung an iron rod and pounded him mercilessly. Who could understand such an ordeal? To whom could he even pour out the tale of his Tianque experience? Wu Yaozu said, "The more I think about it, the angrier I get. Not only did we miss out on the mystique of Tianque, but we also got beaten black and blue by proxy!" As they passed Guanghan Palace, he couldn't help stopping in his tracks. Had they known, they might as well have come here instead. "We don't have a reservation," Xiang Yiwu said, shaking his head. "Honored guests, please step inside," someone actually greeted them proactively. Moreover, the attendant beamed with smiles, leading them toward the main palace. Wu Yaozu stopped and asked, "Didn't you say that place only receives senior figures of renown? And that young talents must be in the third realm if they wish to enter, because there are too many reservations?" Last time, they had hit a wall here. They had watched Pei Shuyan, Cui Chonghe, and the others enter the Main Guanghan Palace alongside some sun elves, while they themselves were turned away at the door. "Today, could there be any young talents more dazzling than the three of you? Defeating the experts of the sun elven race in succession is truly a peerless divine gift. In the second realm, you outshine even the immortal seeds." A middle-aged woman walked out with a beaming smile. She was one of the managers here. Lowering her posture, she apologized for the previous incident and invited them into the Main Guanghan Palace. Here, osmanthus fragrance drifted in the air, and clouds and mist swirled about; it was indeed built to mimic the mythical Guanghan Palace of legend. In Qin Ming's eyes, however, it was just a place to drink wine. Having undergone their ordeal at Tianque, he, Xiang Yiwu, and Xiao Wu all took it in stride. Today, they encountered no vexing incidents. No elven servants came over out of nowhere to toast them. Instead, a noble lady had a bottle of fine wine sent over to their table. "From whom?" The attendant informed them, "The daughter of Pei Yan, the Marquis of Wuping, who possesses god-ascending potential in Great Yu." Others also wished to invite the three to drink together and chat in private. At this moment, the sun elven race received word, and someone spoke up immediately: "They've entered Guanghan Palace. Let us go see them and find a way to resolve the matter of the immortal contract." "I only hope they don't open their mouths like lions!"